


What about Scotty?

by TFALokiwriter



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Background Relationships, Friendship, Gen, I don't know, I think you all may or may not enjoy it, Post-Star Trek Beyond, Sad, and the gist of it is that you have to read it, i got this idea, maybe a dose of humor, no love sick characters, soulmates with numbers tattoo, veers off into original fanfic territory because of how it is executed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-22
Updated: 2016-11-22
Packaged: 2018-08-30 13:50:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8535631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TFALokiwriter/pseuds/TFALokiwriter
Summary: Everyone has soulmates with numbers that match. Scotty has none.





	1. Chapter 1

Scotty was sitting at a table with Keenser drinking tea. It had been little over a month since the _Enterprise_ was destroyed. The brilliant, lovely starship. Everyone had a number that matched each other determining each other as soulmates. Everyone except Scotty. Their personalities complimented each other. The captain, the commander, and the doctor, were almost as though one person. Their number was 966. Everyone was born with a random number. For as long as Scotty remembered, he wasn't born with a number.

He saw a group of children, some of whom were Vulcans and Deltans, in a group along a water fountain.

"Look at that," Scotty said. "The Vulcans quickly rebounded."

Keenser looked over to see one of the Vulcans was a bald boy with pointy ears. Keenser turned his head in the direction of the human tilting his head.

"Well, maybe not," Scotty said. "Some Vulcans were born with some. . . complications due to Nero."

Keenser stared at him.

"What?" Scotty said. "I read up on the Vulcan's recovery. It's addictin' tae read." He took another sip from the tea. "So what are ye and Kevin goin' tae dae?"

Keenser looked over toward the fountain.

"Ah, kissing on the fountain?" Scotty asked,wiggling his eyebrows.

Keenser looked over toward Scotty with a shrug.

"Lucky lad," Scotty said. "If Romaine were still here. . . We would be ice skatin' by now."

Keenser appeared to be sad.

"So are ye goin' tae be assigned tae another ship while the big A is bein' made?" Scotty asked, lightening the mood up.

Keenser nodded.

"That is goin' to be a bi' thin' for you." Scotty said. "But it won't be squat compared to the original girl."

Keenser pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh.

"What?" Scotty asked. "It is true."

Keenser looked over toward Scotty.

"Ye know. . ." Scotty twirled a little spoon in his cup. "Romaine had a number on her backside."

Keenser sighed, thinking, _Oh god,here we go again_.

"I didn't ask tae meet with ye for nae reason." Scotty said.

Keenser raised his head up.

"I know, I shouldn't be wallowing in my sorrow but . . ." Scotty said, taking the little spoon out placing it onto a recyclable napkin. "I am thinkin' of retirin' from Star Fleet and returnin' tae Earth." Keenser looked up in alarm, half in fright, his jaw dropping at the news. "I see numbers where-ever I go. I see them on alien's hands,forehead, and ankles."

Keenser blinked, coming to the realization that his best friend was leaving Star Fleet. Scotty was leaving poor old Keenser among new star fleet officers on another ship while the _Enterprise A_ was being constructed. The thought of serving along someone else who understood him and his behavior was frightening. It was also a pain in the ass to start all over again. And scary. He had initially hoped, that with Kevin, to continue serving with his best friend. Now the idea was becoming dim and dimer by the second.

"I know I am a rare one, extremely rare," Scotty said. "Everyone is born with a number. Even Jaylah."

Keenser grunted.

"Jaylah does, I looked." Scotty said. "On her left ankle."

Keenser folded his arms then spoke in his native language.

"No, ye are nae leavin' because I'm leavin'," Scotty said. "That's nae how it works."

Keenser glared at Scotty.

"I know, I did brin' ye aboard the _Enterpris_ e. . ." Scotty said. "But that was only so ye wouldn't be alone." Scotty looked over toward the small, short alien. "Ye are my partner, and my friend."

Keenser picked up the napkin then dapped at his tears with it.

"Ah, dae nae cry," Scotty said. "We are nae exactly married."

Keenser smirked as a spark gleamed in his eyes.

"Nae, nae, nae," Scotty shook his hands. "We are not gettin' married. Ye have a number."

Keenser waved his ankle in the air once sliding down on to the seat showing  off his number: 101010.  It was in bold black ink like texture that stood out to the naked eye. Scotty shook his head taking another sip from the tea cup. When Keenser was determined, he was determined like hell to get what he wanted. Even to getting past several security measures to pass the academy with his number. Keenser lowered his foot. His number was a funny story. It was a code that could be used to hack through star fleet fire walls. So when his number was discovered, it set off alarms in the academy and they had to question the short alien if he had deliberately changed his number to a code. But getting married with Scotty, however, was another story. They were, on every sense of the word, friends with benefits.

"Nice try, though." Scotty said, sounding a bit comforted.

Keenser glared at Scotty.

"I know ye tryin' to cheer my up on that part," Scotty said. "But I am not up for another relationship like the one I had with  Romaine. . . Nae yet." He took another sip of his tea. "I am goin' back to Scotland."

Keenser raised an eyebrow.

"Ye think it is a borin' place to be." Scotty said.

Keenser nodded.

"Have ye done nature narratin'?" Scotty asked.

Keenser shook his head.

"I did it for comedy a few years back before I went tae the academy." Scotty said. "I used tae work on cars. Every type of cars. Engines, car parts,and radios." Keenser took a sip of his tea, too, raising one of his eyebrow ridges. "My dad dubbed me the best mechanic on the face of the earth." Keenser put the tea cup down onto the table. "That is how I was able tae start up that car on Giles with plywire and oil."

Keenser considered that, then nodded.

"I have nae sent my resignation in." Scotty said. "I need some down time before I dae that."

 


	2. Chapter 2

Seeing numbers on people's hands was a blunt reminder of what Scotty didn't have. What about Scotty? The poor lad had adjusted to life seeing numbers on people's hands. But never as often and repeatedly as he had on the five year mission that was cut short. Scotty was considering to get a artificial number on the top of his hand during their shoreleave on the Yorktown. Right before returning into space with Romaine. He wanted to make his number match her number. Being born without a number was a fluke of nature. Something out of a horror story. The Yorktown was named after the Starship Yorktown. There was a plague in the middle of the walk way in front of starbase command indicating why it was named after them.

What about Scotty?

Scotty could have, instead, made his number 1701. Had the original _Enterprise_ survived. Because she was like the second lover in his life. Keenser was third. All his belongings, relics of what he once had, had been recovered and sent off to the Yorktown.  His family heirlooms were intact, thankfully, though Hikaru's plants were not as fortunate. Some of them did not make it. He was twirling the little salt shaker that was of the  original Enterprise. The one he had served on for nine hundred sixty-six days on a deep space mission. Before that, Scotty had served on her for two years. Under a not so much experienced James T. Kirk. Ambassador Spock had visited often in the years previous for diplomatic missions. And Ambassador Spock, too, had nine hundred sixty-six. The young lads and lassies were thrown right out of the academy into space. He remembered the gentle, soft humming of the Enterprise engines. Scotty was happy before Krall's large scale attack. Walking the hall ignoring the sights of numbers. He was thrilled. When he wasn't working on a project in engineering, he was still otherwise thrilled. Dating specialist officer lieutenant Mira Romaine.

* * *

_Scotty arrived to the medical hospital shortly after the successful prevention of the starbases demise. He hadn't gotten the chance to meet up with Romaine. He was focused mostly on getting the survivors on board the Franklin. He held hope that she made it. She had to have made it out. He saw Doctor M'Benga treating a survivor.  It had been over a year since he had seen the man. The light blue, kind eyes swept over toward him then had relief in them. The doctors attention returned to the patient. Some of the medical team had made it. They hadn't been killed by the life sucking force of Krall's followers. He could feel his heart race. He saw Uhura sitting alongside a blonde woman. He looked around with a bright smile when his eyes returned to the sight of Christine Chapel._

_"Miss Chapel?" Scotty asked._

_Chapel looked up, her eyes red, tears streaming down her cheeks._

_"Scotty!" Chapel braced him._

_"Ay, lassie," Scotty said, reciprocating in the hug. "I am still alive."_

_"Mira," Chapel said. "They took Mira."_

_Scotty felt the skin on his face turn white. His entire composure changed from a relaxed, calm demeanor into a sorrowful one. They lost a specialist. It was her first year in deep space, or better yet, serving in deep space. He felt tears running down his cheek. He felt a void in himself. As though someone had yanked out his heart then left him there to die in a puddle of blood. He looked back at the last time he was with Romaine. He kissed Romaine on the cheek, gentlemen like, while they held hands then returned to the Enterprise. She was dead. If Mira was taken, she was dead. Pure and simple. There were rescue vessels that had gone to Altamid to check for survivors that hadn't been taken aboard the Franklin._

* * *

"Come on, Scotty," M'Benga said, as they were sitting at a park on a park bench side by side. They were in their civvies. "When life throws you lemons, you throw rock at it."

"I have thrown rocks at it my entire life." Scotty said.

"I know that is a big blow to you," M'Benga said. "But you were not the only one to lose someone."

"I am well aware of it," Scotty said, gloomy. "She was the one. She did nae really like the man she was supposed to be soulmates with." He watched a couple walk by holding hands. their numbers clearly on the top of their hands,sadly. "She and I were goin' to have the same number."

M'Benga pitied the man.

"What if I told you that we can create holoprograms without numbers?" M'Benga asked.

Scotty looked at him in disbelief at first then his face appeared to turn into a 'what kind of question is that?'

"Holoprograms are simply holoprograms," Scotty said. "They are nae solid."

"Yet." M'Benga said. "Before you know it they will have a solid, living holoprogram engineer without a number. Who can think on their own."

Scotty saw that a pair of children were chasing after each other. One of them was green with oddly designed ears and spikes dotting their face. Scotty leaned forward cupping his hands together. It didn't comfort him that he was the only one in this world without a soulmate. He remembered other kids declining that he take part in their games because  " _Ye dae nae have a number! We chase ones with numbers_!".  He cried for a day afterwards. So he decided to repair bumper cars and use a program on a track. It was the most fun he had bumping into cars that didn't have numbers. He refused to let the other kids play with them for that hurtful comment. It took his parents to make the children apologize for them to earn the right to be in his bumper cars playing with him.

"That would be a cruel thin' to do, lad." Scotty sad.

"Not giving them a number like you?" M'Benga asked.

Scotty paused.

"I dae nae know why I was born without a number. It's a mystery I can nae solve." Scotty said.

M'Benga looked over toward Scotty.

"I don't know about you, Scotty," M'Benga said. "Perhaps there is a good reason why you don't have one."

Scotty turned his head toward M'Benga leaning his back against his chair.

"What do you reckon it is?" Scotty asked.

M'Benga paused, thinking about it, for a good awhile.

"There are such thing as soul companions," M'Benga said. "They are not mates. They are companions you have in your various lives. Someone you have associated to and traveled with in numerous lifetimes."

Scotty raised a eyebrow.

"As it is, no one talks about that, and that is a first I heard of it." Scotty said.

"Look, Scotty," M'Benga said. "You are not the first."

"The last one without a number was born three hundred years ago." Scotty said.

"How about we go to the holographic studying building if that will comfort you?" M'Benga asked. "It won't hurt."

"Ye just doin' that tae show me how lucky I am." Scotty said.

M'Benga had a soft laugh.

"That is what I am trying to do for a friend." M'Benga said, getting up from the bench. "Romaine wouldn't want you to be leaving because of her."

"Ye got a good point." Scotty said, as he got off the bench. "Let's go."

M'Benga smiled.

"Now, aren't you glad I got reassigned before Krall?" M'Benga said, as they headed down the path heading toward the sidewalk.

"Yes, that I am, partially," Scotty said. "And jealous ye were assigned to a starbase."

"Separating you from the _Enterprise_ would have been a mistake for everyone involved," M'Benga said. "I seem to recall you dotted over her."

"That I did." Scotty said. "Took care of her lon' enough tae nearly get us home."

* * *

The building itself was three stories tall, maybe four. There were holoprograms playing outside of a cat sitting on a holo-projector not quite capable of leaping off into the arms of whoever was nearby. It couldn't be pet, nor could it be fed. it was programmed not to feel hunger or experience hunger, it didn't have a stomach. Scotty saw the little creature as a poor one. It sizzled in and out of existence briefly while licking its paw. M'Benga took the scotsman by the shoulder bringing him into the building. When he came in, he saw there was a large fence around what appeared to be a extinct squeaking rhino. He blinked standing at the doorway. It was like he was in a 21st century zoo. The only difference was that there were science blue officers around the rhino taking notes on transparent padds with a solid surface frame for it to be held. The rhino was semi transparent kicking at the ground making a grunt sound with a small horn on the top of its nose. The rhino sizzled out of existence in a blue flare on the white holoprojector. The researchers shook their head then jotted down notes.

"Next animal." Came the Andorian female.

"Human with a clubbed foot." Came the unusual human looking female with gills on the side.

"God man,are you cruel?"  The Andorian female said.  "How about a missing hand."

"It is better than producing a holoprogram that has specific organs that keep growing!" The gilled human said.

"It was a virus." The Andorian argued.

Scotty whispered into M'Benga's ear.

"This is a bad time," Scotty said. "Shouldn't we leave and come back at a later time?"

"No," M'Benga said. "They just moved the testing level. It was supposed to be level two. Level three is the holographic matrix level. The forth level is where all the brainstorming goes." He pointed up toward the ceiling.  "It has been a while since I visited this place."

"How lon' of a while?" Scotty asked.

"Two months." M'Benga said.

"Ah, that is a shame buildin's get renovated all the time." Scotty said.

M'Benga looked over in the direction of a woman standing alongside a water cooler.

"Hey, Charlotte!" M'Benga said, dragging Scotty by the shoulder toward a woman with light but not nearly dark skin. She had dark hair that was up in a unusual hair style decorated what appeared to be braids. She had brown eyes that were focused on the pad that changed toward the direction of the oncoming man. "Long time no see, how are you?"

"I am fine," Charlotte replied. "This must be Monty, the man you talked about?"

"It is Scotty," Scotty said. "Montgomery Scott, at yer service."

Charlotte smiled.

"Pleased to meet you, lt commander." Charlotte said, holding her hand out.

"Ye tae." Scotty said, shaking her hand.

"My friend Scotty would like to see the advancements in the holodeck." M'Benga said. Scotty let go of the woman's hand. "The one where you can't walk through the holoprogram and experience the surroundings like you are actually there? The kind that defines the holodeck as it is?"

Charlotte gasped.

"Ah, the newer one?" Charlotte said.

"Yes," M'Benga said. "That one."

"It is a shame the other _Enterprise_ didn't have it," Charlotte said. "But it appears the newer one is getting the latest holodecks."

"Say, why is experimental level down here?" Scotty asked.

"Visitors rarely come in as it is." Charlotte said, with a shrug. "Though. . ." She tapped on her chin. "I believe there is someone  you should meet." Scotty and M'Benga shared matching puzzling expressions. "It is the latest in holographic advancement."

"Do they have a number?" M'Benga asked.

"No." Charlotte said.

"Then Scotty must see this someone." M'Benga said.

"I am nae alone." Scotty said, his eyes 

"You are not alone." Charlotte said. "Come with me."

They followed her into a turbo lift. She pressed a button. The turbo lift flew up with rushing speed. It had no walls. He could see the cities from afar. The beautiful lakes that were kept in place by gravity precautions, safety measures, and so on. The turbo lift turned around then swept into the direction of the doorway for the three occupants. The doors slid open to reveal a long hall connected to two doorways. The main split off into a large room that was distant and had blue glowing holographic walls. At least they appeared to be holographic with the brief sizzling. The two men followed the woman down the hall. Scotty saw the holophotos on the wall showing the achievements. Ones from out of the federation and inside the federation. He saw numbers in the photograhs. They were all smiles.

"What achievement did you make?" M'Benga asked.

"We didn't make it yet."  Charlotte said.

"Yet." Scotty said.  "Is this somethin' from our future?"

"Joe has declined to be specific." Charlotte said.

"Joe sounds like a nice name." Scotty said.

They came into the room to see a man speaking with what appeared to be Commodore Paris. She looked over in the direction of the small group that had entered then turned her head back at what appeared to be a middle aged man. He seemed to be in the middle of losing hair. He was in a uniform that was quite odd to the every day officer.  It was black and blue with a star fleet pin on the chest. He had his arms folded and did not seem to be pleased. He had a object attached to his shoulder that was in the shape of a square.

"And this must be Joe." Scotty said.

Joe turned his head in the direction of Scotty.

"Mister Scott," Joe said. "Head Engineer of the _USS Enterprise_. Lieutenant Commander, miracle worker, and the rare person under James T Kirk's crew who did not have a number."

Joe held his hand out for Scotty.

"That I am." Scotty said, with a slight smile then took the man's hand

"Why did you bring Mister Scott and Doctor M'Benga here, Miss Charlotte?" Paris asked.

"Because Mister Scott should meet someone, living holographic being who doesn't have a number." Charlotte said. "He is solid." Scotty looked down toward the man's hand noticing how firm,solid it was while shaking it. He looked back up toward Joe. "And it was actually Doctor M'Benga's idea."

"Doctor and Mister Scott," Paris said. "Do not tell anyone of this sapient holoprogram outside of this facility."

"I won't tell anyone." M'Benga said.

"I cross my heart and hope tae die." Scotty said, letting go of  Joe's hand.

Joe's face grew dark, but miserable.

"Don't say that," Joe said. "Don't you ever say that."

Scotty appeared to be bewildered.

"Why?" Scotty asked.

"Just don't when you are in the era when shuttle crashes are more likely to happen than a transporter accident."  Joe said.

"There is nae that many shuttle crashes in star fleet history." Scotty said.

Scotty looked over toward the older woman.

"He arrived in a site to site transporter," Paris said. "Our technicians are attempting to replicate the factors that lead to his arrival." She looked over toward a science officer to her right side. "Do not attempt to study his holo-projector. If we have not made it then we should not begin a bootstrap paradox."

"Actually, it is a holo-emitter."  Joe said.

"Yes, sir." The science officer said.

Paris went around the group leaving the room.

"Will I die in a shuttle crash?" Scotty asked.

"I rather not talk about it," Joe said. "There is a prime directive I have to obey."

"So Star Fleet is still around." M'Benga said, as a smile grew on his face. "Do I get gray hair?"

"The files I have indicate you do get gray hair," Joe said. "Your holoprogram depiction is. . . how do I say this? Very flamboyant."

Scotty and M'Benga laughed.

"Flamboyant!" Scotty said, slapping his knees.

"Oh my stars, that is just hilarious to think of that." M'Benga said, placing his hands on his stomach.

"You are nothing compared to Hikaru," Scotty said. "Remember the dance party where he dressed rather risky?"

"I do." M'Benga said. "I wore a blue shirt and yoga pants. High collar." He gestured up the collar of his shirt. "You didn't go down because you were fixing the replicator in the mess hall. " Scotty rubbed the back of his neck. "Which you broke by the way. You are not a bad dancer, Scotty."

"Hikaru wore a golden necklace that spelled his last name." Scotty said.

"And the time the captain went out shirtless to the dance?" M'Benga said.

"Great bird of the galaxy, he was drunk then!" Scotty said. "Including how the captain somehow lost his shoes."

"We had to save his feet because he nearly burned his toes off on the dance off." M'Benga said. "I hadn't seen McCoy with a face that red before." He paused. "No wait, I have. When Spock was undergoing his biological need and McCoy came in with scars on his backside."

"This is more interesting than the holodeck adventures." Joe said. "Tell me, what was it like being on the Enterprise? While the "well known worst-kept-secret-of-the-alpha-quadrant" were on missions. My files have them referred to them as such in star fleet records."

M'Benga, Charlotte, and Scotty were grinning. Charlotte, well, looked like she was about to laugh. M'Benga and Scotty shared a glance with each other appearing to be pleased of what they had been told. It seemed as though the apparent of their relationship had become increasingly obvious in the future. M'Benga had to pay off a lot of his still remaining friends who had been assigned to other ship's pre-Krall's attack. If anything Spock, McCoy, and Jim becoming prominent figures in the future was unexpected. But maybe not as their feat on the Yorktown proved it had to be expected. Saving Earth, made it somewhat expected. Never before had Scotty considered himself someone to be revered or well known. 

"It was fun." Scotty said.

"It was really fun." M'Benga agreed.

"And they were not the worst kept secret of the galaxy," Scotty said. "That goes to Nyota and Christine."

"Speaking of which, how long have they been together?" M'Benga said, looking over toward Scotty.

"They just hooked up." Scotty said.

"So things didn't work out for Uhura and Spock. . . Heh, I am surprised," M'Benga said. "I am glad they finally got together."

"Me too." Scotty said. Then he turned his head in the direction of the holoprogram. "Is the future brighter?"

"Brighter, but still the same otherwise." Joe said. "Mister Scott, I. . ."

"Please, call me Scotty lad." Scotty said.

"I was not designed with a number." Joe said. "Scotty, your story in Star Fleet was rather impressive. And it was uplifting. Inspiring,even. I was not the only one who dealt with being alone." Scotty smiled at the thought. "And then I realized I wasn't going to spend the rest of my days being alone. My creator, he too, was without a number. Unlike him, I had a crew as a family. Though I was coming to the Yorktown to check on my creator when I had my unexpected beam out."

Scotty rubbed his chin.

"Was there an ion storm?" Scotty asked.

"A very mild one." Joe said. "As I told them, the storm was passing."

"And here I thought the transporter safety settin's could have prevented that." Scotty said.

"Between you and me," Joe said. "Transporter malfunctions are still common. One time we had a cook and a Vulcan merged together."

"What was it like?" M'Benga asked.

"I can't judge on how well they cooked," Joe said. "But I can say that they were a great person when merged." Joe had a laugh finding the amusing aspect in it. "It was funny. I wasn't the only one the ship without a number. When they were merged, they didn't have a number. I was relieved."

"Weell.  . ." Scotty said. "We almost had that too on the Franklin."

"The Franklin?" Joe asked. "What about the Franklin?"

"We found it." Scotty said.

Joe appeared to be flabbergasted.

"No, it was found by a Vulcan Vessel by the name Sarek in 2273." Joe said. "On the planet Altamid along with a lone survivor of a crash landing. Her name was Jaylah."

"Ah," Scotty said, folding his arms while nodding his head. "You must be from Ambassador Spock's timeline."

Joe froze.

"Ambassador Spock?" Joe said, in shock.

"Passed away a few days ago." M'Benga said. "He was a remarkable Vulcan. I admired him."

"That is impossible. . . he could never have survived that." Joe said.

"Trust us when he say he did." M'Benga said.

"He was a nice lad. Funny one, though." Scotty said. "He gave me a red tribble."

"Do the Vulcans have his Katra?"  Joe asked.

Scotty and M'Benga shared odd looks with one another then to Charlotte. Who tilted her head in the direction of the Holoprogram.

"I dae nae know," Scotty said. "You should contact the Vulcan Council or Sarek for that."

"Highly unlikely he would allow his Katra to be taken to the secondary hall of ancient thought," M'Benga said. "He is from the future and does not wish to spoil what has happened. He was obeying the prime directive at the time." Joe faked a cough as they turned their heads in the direction of the holoprogram. "Are you telling me Vulcan wants his Katra?"

"It was in his will." Joe said. "I will not leave without if they have it."

"This is fascinating," Charlotte said. "It appears Vulcan is intact for his time."

"What do you mean intact?" Joe asked. "It has been intact since I was born."

"It was destroyed by Captain Nero usin' red matter." Scotty said.

Joe's face faltered.

"No." It was a small no from the holoprogram. "Miss Charlotte, can you look up the names T'Meni and Sunak, please?"

Charlotte nodded.

"Of course." Charlotte said.


	3. Chapter 3

M'Benga tried to comfort the engineer, that Scotty could hand to him. He was at a bar twirling a cup in a circle on the counter. He was considering to take a drink or not. He didn't feel hungry or thirsty. But there were rare times in his lifetime that he was this sad. But it had comforted Scotty that he inspired someone. M'Benga and Scotty had parted ways after the visit to the holographic institution. It was quite a interesting concept holoprograms were people themselves and they can think like anyone else. Believing they were real. Being real as a human without internal organs. He took a drink from the glass.

"Hey Scotty, what brings you here?" Came a familiar voice.

Scotty looked over to see Jim in his civvies, his once black eye was not even there anymore, and his blue beautiful eyes were the ones the engineer could stare at for hours on end. Sometimes the mere picture of those eyes helped him go to sleep when he had nightmares. Nightmares of Nero succeeding on destroying Earth. Humans becoming an endangered race. Scotty smiled back at the thirty year old man. He remembered when Jim's hair wasn't to the side and was actually a different kind of hair cut. Everyone's hair style had changed during the five year mission. Namely Doctor McCoy and Christine including a few officers. Such as Cupcake but he had been assigned to another starship before Krall's attack.

"Ah, just my sorrow." Scotty said. "You?"

"I am introducing my mom to Mister Spock tomorrow,"  Jim said. He was in a black sweatshirt and blue jeans. The black shirt made his blue eyes stand out. "My mom met Bones all ready. .  ." He shook his drink from side to side lightly. "This is a first for my mother. Meeting a Vulcan who is not a big fan of . . ." The captain tapped his chin. "What is it called again?" He paused, briefly. "I believe it is string theory."

Scotty grew a surprised expression on his face.

"I thought she all ready knew." Scotty said.

"We have been busy." Jim said.

"Ah," Scotty said. "That's been on the vine lately."

"I am set to command another vessel while the _Enterprise A_ is being built." Jim said. "With Bones."

"Ye are goin' tae be the death of him!" Scotty said.

Jim laughed.

"True." Jim said. "And you? Where are you going?"

Scotty took a sip from his drink.

"I dae nae know." Scotty said. "All I need is a break from this."

"Take as long as you need, Scotty," Jim said, putting a hand on the man's shoulder. "You deserve it."

"Thank ye, Jim." Scotty said.

Jim took his hand off Scotty's shoulder.

"The funny thing is, thanks to Krall, I didn't accept promotion to admiralcy," Jim said. "In fact he just relit my desire to help people. Before Krall; I wanted to sit down, and go slow. It was getting episodic lately. . ." Jim paused. "I don't know what I would have done without Spock."

Scotty took a sip.

"Yer that kind of person." Scotty said.  "Ye? Nae commandin' the _Enterprise_?"

"Spock would have taken command." Jim said.

"That is unlike you." Scotty said. "But heartwarmin' tae hear yer-could-have-been replacement."

Jim had one of his golden smiles at the engineer.

"It was," Jim said, taking out a golden device from his pocket. "I showed this to the others . . . Well, I started with Pavel a few days ago. It occurred to Spock that we had to see it. Uhura was quite stunned herself when she saw it yesterday." Jim put it on the table. "It is from the Ambassador's original timeline."

Scotty lowered the cup to the table.

"Hm?" Scotty said. "I thought he had nothin' left."

"The way he acted . . ." Jim said. "I thought that too after the Ambassador gave Spock that pendant. Open it."

Scotty slid open the device,slowly, at first seeing a blue screen. The blue screen faded. Seven figures appeared with one in the center sitting in a chair. Then he saw a strikingly familiar man in the background. The man resembled his late grandfather. The best relative Scotty ever had. He was quite the teddy bear. He would take the young Scotsman to a fair when it came around and let him watch inaccurate technological tv shows that survived. His parents called it horror movies. Scotty's grandfather look alike was smiling in the background. There wasn't any sight of numbers in the picture. He could see Chekov, Sulu, Spock, McCoy (with a different face, though the grumpy demeanor was spot on), Uhura, and Jim. Scotty then understood why the old Vulcan smiled at him. It also made sense why Uhura reacted the way she did.  Her black hair had turned to gray and it was in a afro.  Chekov's hair style wasn't curly.  Sulu's hair style was otherwise the same. Except for Jim and McCoy. Jim's hair was curly. McCoy's hair style otherwise different in every sense of the word. Spock's hair style was the same.

"It was his logic," Jim said. "His family. That is what Spock told me."

They were all happy in the photograph.

 _Happy_.

Happy was the keyword.

"Nae wonder Ambassador Spock wanted a tour of engineerin' with me as his tour guide." Scotty said.

"Sarek will be holding a memorial service in a few days," Jim said. "I know you two were close. . ." Scotty closed the device then handed it back to Jim. "Close enough that he was clearly wanting to send you a schematics of a warp core from the Andorian for some advice. At least, that is what Sarek told me over holo-chat."

Scotty took a sip with a raised eyebrow then lowered the glass.

"Andorian's made advancements in warp core technology?" Scotty asked,in disbelief.

"It was later discredited by Sarek and a Vulcan engineer," Jim said. "I believe her name was T'Meni."

Scotty's eyes shined.

"That lassie," Scotty said. "She made the first starship prison quarter system."

"He chose wisely." Jim said.

"Aye." Scotty said, with a nod. He picked the glass up. "Tae Ambassador Spock's legacy."

Jim picked his glass up, too.

"To his legacy." Jim said.

They clicked their drink's together then had a drink together.

"When dae ye start yer new command?" Scotty asked.

"Next week." Jim said. He took another sip of his drink.

Scotty had a smile at that part.

"I wish ye the best of luck." Scotty said.

"It is the Endeavor."  Jim said.

"I heard the captain of it was retirin'." Scotty said.

"That he is." Jim said. "Captain Derbes. Impressive record he has."

Scotty nodded.

"And what about Mister Spock?" Scotty asked.

"He is spending his sabbatical on New Vulcan," Jim said. "Something about participating in the education of young, impressionable Vulcan offspring. At least it is better than him going off to Vulcan to have Spocklets."

"He is good with children," Scotty said. "I dae nae know what would have happened if he was nae there for the Andorian psychic children."

"Simple," Jim said. "We would have been lost. I wouldn't have figured it out earlier and nor would have Bones that they were the ones controlling the survivors."

"Remember the time when the Ambassador insisted we bring Kockerlik rabbits into the transporter room for a specific incident?" Scotty asked. "Too specific, at least."

"They were useful." Jim mused. 

"They were." Scotty agreed. "I did nae figure them for meat eaters."

"On the advantage is that we can get rid of species like the  Camaladonian." Jim said. "Before they do more devastating damage. Other than eating up the frame of the transporter padd and the floor paneling."

"I wonder where they were from." Scotty said.

"Transporter incidents come with different species coming out of no where," Jim said. "We didn't figure out where the bugs that we could only see through our vision were coming from."

Scotty took a drink to that. It was his idea that they go through the transporter again after several of McCoy's concoctions did not work. Well, sort of his idea. Spock was unable to focus during the chess game with Jim. McCoy was not able to focus and allowed Doctor M'Benga to be in charge of sick bay while he researched happenings regarding this illness. There were none. Two security officers who survived the landing party mission went mad and ended up attacking each other. Scotty couldn't take it anymore when the officers had landed on his table swiping away his sandwich. Spock and McCoy deduced it was neurological.

"We may never know." Scotty said.

"Scotty, when I think of it," Jim said. "I think you should go to the academy to put the cadets in their place."

"Like you were?" Scotty asked.

"It didn't stick for long." Jim said. "Space disciplined me."

"I will consider it." Scotty said. "But what if I meet someone who was a lot like ye before bein' captain of the _Enterprise_?"

"I trust your words will do all the work." Jim said. "You are a miracle worker. I can count you on that."

Scotty took a sip from the glass.

"It seems ye got a bright future ahead." Scotty said.

"So do you," Jim said. "Wherever you go."

Scotty took a sip.

"True." Scotty said.  "Where is Pavel goin' again? I heard he was goin' tae the Reliant."

"Reliant, promoted, he is in the security track." Jim said.

"I knew he would go far." Scotty said. "Many thin's are goin' tae be different."

"It should be scary," Jim said. "But I am not afraid."

"Ye have been facin' fear every day since goin' in tae deep space," Scotty said. "I thought ye grew accustomed tae it."

"Says the man who puked on a bunch of gifts from the Galavint." Jim said.

"Hey!" Scotty said. "I was reelin' from their food poison in my defense."

"There is a phrase I was once told," Jim said. "The more things change, the more they stay the same."

"Ye in space," Scotty said. "Helpin' people, with Mister Spock and Doctor McCoy, by your side. Almost in this case." He took another sip. "I thought he would be servin' with ye on the Endeavor instead of returnin' tae New Vulcan." He thought back for a moment there. "Mister Spock has nae struck me as the sabbatical type since the shore leave planet."

"I was just surprised as you." Jim said. "But he is my husband and he deserves all the sabbatical he needs."

"Yer spoilin' him." Scotty said.

"Before you know it, he will be swearing," Jim said. "We have yet to get that far. But I feel we may get there in the next twenty years."

Scotty smiled.

"It has been an honor tae serve under ye, Jim." Scotty said, holding his hand out for Jim.

Jim nodded.

"As to you, Scotty." Jim firmly took Scotty's hand.

* * *

Christine Chapel was half awake, half asleep propped on the bed using the covers to shield her breast from the holo-vid that was shining a bright shade of blue. She was beside a fast asleep Nyota Uhura who had both hands clutching onto the pink pillow. Her hair was a big mess despite it being short and light blonde, she had light blue eyes. She had bags under her eyes. She had one hand cupping the side of her face. Christine had a non-pleased expression on her face. The machine on the side placed onto the counter indicated it was an ungodly hour. She had initially assumed it to be a mid-night emergency involving a bunch of teenagers fooling around and ending up getting hurt.

"What about Scotty?" Christine asked.

"I don't know but there is something concerning about him considering to leave Star Fleet." M'Benga said.

"He just lost Mira," Christine said. "Wouldn't you be the same way if you lost your imaginary boyfriend Kennex?"

"He is not imaginary." M'Benga said. "He is quite real. He just can't introduce himself without authorization."

"Right." Christine said. "So you say that you are ready for that Vulcan starship mission?"

"I have prepared for it." M'Benga said.  "Working in a Vulcan Ward brings a lot of preparations."

"Sure you predicted everything?" Christine asked.

"Of course,  I have." M'Benga said. "And what about you?"

"I am being assigned to a top secret project as a nurse." Christine said. "Can't say what." She batted her eyelashes with a smile. "I will need authorization to tell you." M'Benga had a bemused laugh at that part. "I can only tell you that I am being promoted."

"I get it." M'Benga said. "Commander Chapel."

"You will make a great doctor." Christine said. "I feel like you will outlive us all."

"My legacy will make me outlive you, not the other way around." M'Benga insisted. His blue eyes staring back at her. "And of course, I will, I seem to work quite fine with Vulcan patients. Before you know it, I will be the recommended physician for Vulcans in the next hundred years."

Christine had a light hearted laugh.

"That is because you were born to the wrong species." Christine said. 

M'Benga laughed.

"That is true." M'Benga said.

"You don't need to worry about Scotty," Christine said. "I am sure he is fine. Just need some time to grieve for his loss."

"Good point." M'Benga said.

Christine yawned.

"Good night, Geoffrey."  Christine said. "I have to be up bright and early for morning shift."

"My apologies," M'Benga said. "Thanks for listening. See you in the morning. M'Benga out."

The screen turned to black.

"Now back to dreamland." Christine placed the item on the counter alongside the bed.

Christine cuddled up against the athletic frame of the communications officer laid beside her body. She could smell the sweet scent from Uhura's hair. She wrapped her hands around the woman's side. She felt the woman's stomach moving up and down to her  breathing pattern. By the great bird of the galaxy was Christine lucky that Uhura hadn't been victim to Krall. Christine's many friends had survived as they were not aboard the _Enterprise_ during that time and were assigned off to different starship or a planet side colony. She closed her eyes feeling a smile spread on her face. Everything was good on the home front. Too good to be true. And she cherished every moment of it.

* * *

On the original _Enterprise_ , the chief medical officer and chief engineer officer shared the same bathroom. It was converted, originally, into a liquor cabinet after their first month in space sharing the same bathroom. They were drinking buddies and it was quite the best bathroom sharing experience Scotty had. The last time he had to share a bathroom with someone it ended up bad. Scotty had to use someone else bathroom for a sonic shower. They had ironed out when one or the other was going to take a shower or have a relax bath in the sonic tub. It did project bubbles, give a soothing rinse to the skin, and massage the joints that were tense. The filth going down the drain. Scotty awoke that day with a fleeting nightmare. He was back on that ledge. Relying on his arm strength to lift him up. He was damn lucky that the rock hadn't given away. But in the nightmares that had came up he wasn't at all lucky in them.

Scotty sat on the edge of the bed, gaining his bearings,over what he had dreamed of. He could go to the floating island replica of Hawaii that wasn't underwater. It would serve as some good vacation for the Scotsman. Keenser and Kevin were sharing the same quarters together. Janice Rand was serving on the USS Reliant as a Yeoman climbing the ranks. Last Scotty heard is that she was going to change her career track to security. Ever since that unfortunate incident where Jim was sliced into two people, she has been making an effort to take defensive classes. Jim's attack had made Janice stronger in some ways. In fact, Scotty once went to a bar with Janice and Christine during shore leave when the _Reliant_ was around. Janice taught some grunts a lesson when they hit on Christine and she wouldn't return the gesture. Chekov was excited in the promotion party Jim had thrown. It was well organized, that McCoy could admit to, and Scotty enjoyed it because of illegal Romulan Ale. McCoy hinted that he had some hand in retrieving the ale. Spock was not amused.

Scotty sighed.

He needed a drink.

Scotty opened the drawer then slid it open. He took out a bottle with a small glass cup. Some days he needed a drink before getting up. Ever since Krall. He wasn't becoming a drunken fool. Scotty was cautious of not becoming that. He only visited the bar at the night shift. He poured himself a glass then took a drink. He could feel it on his tongue then pass down after being swallowed. He put the lid back onto the bottle. His attention span arose. Scotty put the bottle and the glass on the table. Scotty stood up then went over to the closet. He pressed a button to the side. The door slid open to reveal his civvies that he bought with federation credit. Scotty saw the colorful rows of socks, including his collection of purple socks that presented the bisexual flag. He wore them during Bisexual week. This was not bisexual week. His eyes drifted over to the red socks. He picked up a pair of socks, boxers, pants, shirt, and a jacket. He went into the singular non shared bathroom.

He placed his clothes onto a shelf made of light gray bars. The door to the bathroom had closed behind him. Scotty slipped himself out of the PJ's that he had put on several hours earlier. He looked over to see the sonic shower coming to life, well actually beeping to life, turning on at the precise time it was usually used. He had set the settings for his sonic shower to be ready and active. That way he wouldn't walk in and have the sonic shower being cold and empty. He took his socks and boxers off then placed them into the pile. Scotty stepped into the rounded shaped machine then turned in the direction of the wall. With a soft beep the sonic shower started to get rid of the filth. Scotty closed his eyes thinking of the crashing waves on Achmelvich beach. He remembered spending time on the rocks after long hours working on a hover car. He felt the cool, warm against against his skin. The water take the filth off.  He picture himself on the very same beach considering that he should visit it. He should start his vacation today. Why has he been on the starbase instead of being out there? Out there enjoying his downtime?

Company, that is what.

Scotty enjoyed the company of his friends Keenser and Kevin. Kevin, last Scotty seen, was still learning how to use the utensils. He ate the damn fork. Keenser had pinched the bridge of his nose while his roommate went over to chew on the table leg. He had a bad habit of chewing on anything that wasn't of couch fabric. Surprisingly,Kevin reminded Scotty of a wee dog. A type of breed that ran around with a high pitched,loud bark. It was driving Keenser mad. Keenser had a high pitched scream when their first holovid had ended a few days ago. Scotty cackled and laughed like mad. So his assistant thought taking care of a little alien was going to be easy. Life was never easy. Scotty had seen Kevin's number. It matched Keenser's number. Their number was 101010 on the wrist. Scotty, through his youth, did a study on these numbers. Ten percent of them indicated the year when the pair would die. That he knew a few pairs of elderly married couples died in that precise year. He heard the soft beep to the sonic shower indicating it had finished.  He was dry as a whistle. He stepped out of the machine feeling warm.

Today was the start of his breathing room.


	4. Chapter 4

Scotty boarded the shuttle craft with his two bags. Scotty placed the baggage on his lap then buckled himself up. He saw a strange, tall, bulky built man with a unusual face entering the shuttle. There were a lizard quality to the man except he lacked a tail. It seemed discomforting to see a lizard like person without a tail. It only made the sight even more eerie. There were scales leading up to the neck. The skin was a unusual shade that Scotty couldn't pin down. It was a shade of light brown that stood out against his hair. He was walking with a limp. Which was odd because medical technology in Star Fleet could fix that impairment. Appearance wise, as a shadow, the man seemed to be somewhere in his mid thirties. His hair seemed to be fairly curly and pitch black. Heavy, hard footsteps. Scotty saw the strange alien being had gray eyes. He sat alongside the Scotsman. Their shoulders were against each other. The larger alien male flinched.

"Say, yer goin' tae Earth?" Scotty asked.

The man turned his head in the direction of the Scotsman. Strikingly, the first thing Scotty thought of the head was that it wasn't Klingon. Definitely not Klingon due to the lack of the forehead crest, and the lack of a fancy beard. The man had a human face with unusual characteristics. Lines, rounded ridges above the location where eyebrows should be, and a pattern that started around the eyes to the forehead. The ears were unusual but not as unusual as Vulcans. Because these ears were made of scales. He hadn't seen anyone like this before in his life. Not at all. No one in his Star Fleet career looked as unique. He hadn't seen a well crafted lizard species that appeared lizard in nature. Scotty couldn't see if the newcomer had a number in his wrist. Which was surprising since eighty-three percent of the population had their numbers on their wrists. The lizard like man had a soft laugh rubbing the back of his neck.

"I believe so. The name is Jarick Godzik."  Godzik held his hand out. "What might be yours?"

"Montgomery Scott." Scotty said, taking Godzik's hand then shook it. "Everyone calls me Scotty, a miracle worker."

Godzik appeared to be alarmed then he looked over toward the entrance of the shuttle then back to Scotty. Godzik's skin turned white as though he was speaking to a ghost. Godzik was not able to scoot back as a woman and her female companion sat side by side. Godzik was pinned by both sides. By Scotty and the coincidental woman. What also prevented him from exiting the shuttle craft was the mass of people entering the shuttle craft. Godzik was unable to move with his rather large frame. He appeared to be appalled for that matter for some reason. Godzik's heart beat against his chest. He ran through a million thoughts. He didn't belong here. That Godzik knew for sure. His reaction softened as he trembled in the grip of the concerned human. Scotty raised an eyebrow at the young lad.

"Montgomery Scott. . ." Godzik said. Scotty lowered his eyebrow. "I am a huge fan of your work."

"I had some help with that, lad." Scotty said, as last remaining others boarded the shuttle.

"It is a honor to meet you." Godzik said.

"Say, what are ye?" Scotty asked, as their hand shake ended. "Never seen an alien like ye before in star fleet."

"A, erm, um," Godzik let go of the Scotman's hand. "Are you familiar to the reality show called the Kardashians?"

"Aye!" Scotty said. "Worst piece of drama I ever seen."

"I am a Kardashian."  Godzik said.

Scotty glared at him.

"Ye dae nae have the Kardashian last name." Scotty said. "We dae nae like people lyin' about that. Star Fleet has a rule about that."

Godzik appeared to be surprised.

"It does?" Godzik asked.

Scotty nodded.

"There is such rule about it. . ." Scotty said. "If yer in star fleet." Scotty then finally noticed this strange, lizard like man was in civvies that were designed differently. He tilted his head noticing Godzik's pants reached down to the ankle where it vanished underneath the small boots. The pant pockets were longer. The collar was wide and unusual for an outfit.  He looked back up straightening his head. "That is."

Godzik had a wide smile about the subject, apparently.

"Keeping up with the Cardassians is something not everyone likes to joke about." Godzik said.

"Nor are stints when it comes tae the _Enterprise_." Scotty said. "We had a stint back then where Jim punched out the president in the oval office."

"Which one?" Godzik said.

"The one that started the third world war." Scotty said. "Just between ye and me."

The shuttle craft door closed as the last occupant sat down into a chair alongside a human.

"I never heard that story." Godzik said.

"I can say I was there.  .  . Ye see, it was at the beginnin' of the five year mission." Scotty said. "Jim and I were goin' tae a conference. Two different ones,but instead, we landed in front of the iron gates tae the white house. It was a white house back then because it matched the current skin preference of America to lead it." Scotty had the luggage on his lap. "As it turned out Jim was originally on a top secret mission and I was nae supposed to be with him. Rest is classified. But the president insulted a woman, a public servant. When Jim's fist was sent flyin' he could nae stop it from where it was goin'. He gave the president a black eye."

"Can I take a selfie with you?" Godzik said. "If I told anyone, they wouldn't believe me I was with **THE** Scotty."

"Why sure!" Scotty said.

Godzik took out a smaller version of the padd from his pocket.

"I never took a picture with the best engineer in the quadrant." Godzik said.

"Why now ye have." Scotty said, taking the padd. Then he held it up above their heads and pressed a button. "Say cheese!"

In a white flash the image appeared on the screen. Scotty was smiling in the photograph while Godzik appeared to be startled and slightly phased. The real person who appeared to be the most happy. It was in his eyes. It seemed as though this was planned to be that way. Scotty was the kind who was photogenic. He could not take a terrible picture. In his childhood, in class photos when his hair was messy he would throw on a bright smile and stand out like a sore thumb while everyone else was in the mix between sad and happy. Scotty lowered the device then handed it to Godzik.

"T-t-t--t---thank you." Godzik said.

"Yer welcome, Lad," Scotty said, clasping one hand on the shoulder of the man. "Now buckle up."

* * *

Christine walked into the hospital in her white outfit. It fit her body stature. Not too thin, but with enough weight to qualify as healthy. There was a Tellerite sitting in a chair cradling a right arm covering it with their free right hand with a few relatives. Uhura was awaiting her next assignment. Every day Christine was one of those people who helped calm the patients. Working alongside M'Benga brought forth a sense of familiarity. Not that she was in a relationship with the man but in general, she enjoyed his company and his friendship. Besides, M'Benga was not interested in women.  He was more interested in men. It was a shame he was going aboard one of the Vulcan vessels. She heard that it was the _Intrepid_. 

"Good morning, Christine."  Dora Conolo said, the receptionist at the desk, said.

"Good morning, Dora." Christine replied.

"You have a patient on biobed fourteen, floor 3." Dora said. "Don't be alarmed with what you see."

"When am I alarmed?" Christine said.

"I can count to a hundred." Dora said.

Christine padded at her hair. She hadn't been able to get here early because of Uhura the cuddle monster. The morning kisses. And the tickling pounced on each other. She hadn't gotten her hair sorted out because Uhura was the one insisting she braid it. They came to a compromise. Uhura braided the hair around the top of the woman's head. The touch of the communication's officer was gentle, and kind.  Christine did not mind Uhura doing her hair but not an hour long session doing it. She had only been able to get out of the house by having breakfast with her. She loved Uhura with her heart but she had a job to attend to. Uhura headed down the hall once the sliding doors had opened wide. Uhura and Christine's numbers were 967. Uhura had largely disregarded the tattoo for years until she decided she had enough of her disbelief. Partially why she had left Spock was because he was going to Vulcan to have children without her. Spock was leaving Star Fleet. But the main reason is because she had come to her senses.

Christine came to a pause then rubbed the side of her head feeling a slight headache. She shook her head lowering her hand. She dismissed it off. She went into the turbo lift then pressed the floor button. Her hands locked behind her back. She thought about how to spend her last remaining days on a starbase with the woman of her life. Uhura had ended the poly relationship she had with Spock,Jim, and McCoy. A healer had been around before the crew had disembarked on the _USS Enterprise_ to help a 'captain'. It was fate, Uhura called it, but the bond lingering effects was feeling like someone was in the mind but really was not. She couldn't telepathically speak with anyone but verbally? That Uhura could do. Christine figured the side effect would wear off in a few more days. There was more research done due to Nero's devastating attack on Vulcan and placebos made to keep the surviving spouse less Vulcans alive. Vulcans were no longer allowed to be mysterious in the medical professional, culture, and society wise.

The door opened before Christine.

A male nurse entered the turbo lift so Christine walked out.

"Good morning, Mister Crusher." Christine said, coming to a stop outside the turbo lift looking over toward the red head.

"You have a phaser burn patient, Chapel," Crusher said. "Same one from three days ago."

"Damn, that irresponsible teenager." Christine said, turning away from the turbo lift. 

Christine headed down the hallway, her hands now to her side, with rolled up fists. Christine was rather excellent at venting her anger. She usually pictured herself botching a Romulan emergency operation. She hated them with a burning flare. Christine had lost a fistful of her Vulcan comrades who were nurses. They were stationed on Vulcan. Now for the rest of eternity. Christine cried on the anniversary of Vulcan's destruction. She hadn't lost T'Pring nor Stonn. Stonn was a marine biologist. Not T'Pring and many others who were not in the nursing field. The operating room was where the actual battle took place. At least in her mind. Fighting against death for so long comes with a price. Spend so much time to it and the doctor will lose themselves to dedicating their efforts to saving lives. Even with the technology to help and heal, the operating table was still as tense and sweaty as it had been in the beginning.

Crusher pressed a button leaning to the side as the doors started to close.

"Good luck!" Crusher hollered back.

"I will need it."  Christine muttered to herself.

M'Benga had gone to know the people of this city, at least a handful of them who were prone to injuries. The bicycle marathon was a nightmare and didn't leave him time to sit back and relax. Civilians got injured and on occasions Star Fleet officers got trapped in the mix. Halloween was perhaps the most dangerous holiday of the year on the starbase. Vulcans were known to have instinctive reflexes. Pure Vulcans, that is. An average human from the 21st century would be surprised to see how monk like aliens reacted to being frightened. Commodore Paris sent yearly warnings before the time of Halloween of what is expected and not expected. M'Benga had informed Christine what she could be facing on the Yorktown starbase.  Christine accepted the assignment because it gave her something to do. Not to think of friends lost to Krall. She was doing fine according to most star fleet counselors.

For the past few days there has been an influx in teenage stupidity.

If Christine had a non-federation authorized penny for every time a patient came in with burned hands from trying to cook the wrong way, she would be 'rich'. Filthy rich in terms of currency. If Christine had to estimate then it would be over two thousand three hundred forty-three dollars. Christine wondered if it was happening because someone said, " _Hey, the medical staff from the Enterprise is stationed here!_ " She went past several doorways. She came through one of the doorways. But what she saw instead of burned hands was a burned face. A second degree burn. Dim green eyes staring right back her with a sheepish smile. He could have easily passed for a twenty year old if his skin was not badly damaged. He was in a civilian outfit. Christine picked up a padd from the table then walked over toward the biobed. 

"Carl Stanley," Christine said. "How many times must you be told to stop fiddling with the phase pistols?"

"I didn't know it was still loaded." Stanley said, with a shrug.

"Not that you were aware." Christine said. "You are a pyromaniac."

"Guilty as charged." Stanley said. "If that is what I am, then it is what I am."

"What setting did you use?" Christine asked.

"I don't know. It kind of. . . broke." Stanley said.

"Last time it was for a cowboy reenactment play," Christine said. "What was it this time?"

"Teaching a kid how to make a fire?" Stanley said.

"With a phase pistol." Christine said.

"It kind of backfired." Stanley said, in a little voice.

"I am not going to be your assigned nurse the next time you come in," Christine said. "I swear by it." She jotted down a note on the padd. At least he wasn't addicted to being treated by doctors or be addicted to be cared for constantly. What power she had was helping others and sometimes, not always, do what was best for them. "The only thing you will die of is because of your . . ."

"Disability?" Stanley said. "You don't have to sugar coat it with me."

Christine looked up toward the man.

"You are going to kill yourself with that disability." Christine said.

"My doctor said it would get worse with the hormone treatment." Stanley said.

"Hormone?" Christine asked.

"I was born a girl, but that's just not me."  Stanley said. "And it did get worse. Before it was just minor burns for me. And in general setting leaves on fire. It was minor. And setting paper on fire." He shook his hand to the side. "Now I want to burn three books with that." He held up three of his fingers. "THREE BOOKS. That is just _insane_."

"Yes, it is." Christine said.

"The only way  I can control it at the moment is by burning my fingers." Stanley said.

Christine jotted down another note to the file.

"What about your face?" Christine asked.

"This was just an happy accident." Stanley said.

Christine raised an eyebrow.

The progression of his disability was increasing with horrifying results. Some patients, in her line of work, had a scale to determine what was insane for what they had. Her time on the _Enterprise_ taught her that. She also learned that if anyone were to face a daily set of occurrences being unnatural that it had to be expect for what field or place one was in. The _Enterprise_ was a perfect example. Named after the infamous starship that paved the way for Star Fleet.

"What do you call getting your face burned?" Christine asked. "Happy incident?"

"Well," Stanley said. "It was either getting third degree burns on the hands or losing them all together."

"Did you go to a illegal professional yesterday?" Christine asked. "You talk as though you almost went through losing two very important joints."

"That's just fire talk from me." Stanley said.

"If firemen were still around, you would be the worst." Christine said. Stanley smiled at that comment.

"Gladly!"  Stanley said.

"You do realize your parents--" Christine started to say.

"My parents don't care," Stanley cut her off. "I am living with my uncle."

"I grew up under the roof of my two aunts." Christine said. "They were retired actors."

"You are lucky to have actors for parental figures." Stanley said. "I mean, as relatives."

"My parents died in a hover-car accident." Christine said.

Christine came over to a cabinet then opened the door. She took out a small gun like device out of the cupboard. She pressed the trigger where the pointy tip glowed purple. Stanley had seen this item many times in his life. He had once seen a crude put together version of a dermal regenerator. His uncle put it together when they couldn't go to a clinic five years ago and the nearest town was over two hours away. His uncle was a washed out medical professional. Stanley remembered the blistering pain that resulted from it. He remembered it as if it were yesterday.  It left a scar on the side of his left wrist. He had a fear of dermal regenerators that was overcome by help with two counselors,three rounds of medical treatment for an unrelated illness, and staying in a rehab center for people like him. Half of him didn't trust dermal regenerators.

She came over to the patient. 

"Sit still." Christine instructed.

"I hate having this compulsion." Stanley said. "I hate, _hate_ , _**hate**_ it. Can't I just be like one of those normal people?"

"Being normal isn't as grand as everyone makes it to be," Christine said. "Your--"

"Disability." Stanley said.

"Your flaw makes you. .  " Christine repaired the side of the cheek with the dermal regenerator. "You."

"My current psychiatrist is a Vulcan." Stanley said.

"Oh, poor Vulcan." Christine said.

"I drive her intelligently compromised with my stories." Stanley said. "She says that they are illogical and stupid. They could not have possibly happened."

"And did they?" Christine asked, moving the regenerator to the man's chin.

"In the realm of possibilities and impossibilities: yes, of course." Stanley said. "I lived through it."

"They must be that wild to make a Vulcan make that comment," Christine said. "I find it surprising that a Vulcan is interested in being the ear of humans."

"My mother is a good friend of the Vulcan." Stanley said. "That is the only reason why she can stand me. She is doing it as a personal favor when she can be off having Vulcan children of her own or engaging in memeology. There has to be more sane, normal people like you around who can vent their problems to her."

"You are sane." Christine said, moving the regenerator to the man's other side of his cheek.

"A sane person wouldn't burn things because they have to but out of necessity." Stanley said. The burns cleared away to reveal gentle brown skin. His hair was pure black. If he were a Vulcan then he could have passed for one with that bowl hair cut.  "I can't live with this disability."

"Don't talk that way, I am sure there is studies going into this subject." Christine said, coming up to his eyebrows. "You can be cured."

"Like hell I can be cured," Stanley said. "I have been wishing to be cured only my entire life. I can't have a normal date with a woman without attempting to burn anything. I am a walking disaster. I mean, worse than the captain of the Enterprise when he first started."

"He was a hot mess." Christine said. "But no where as 'bad' as you were. Space straightened him out."

"I wanted to be one of those technicians. A scientist, but. . ." Stanley said. "I am cursed. My uncle's husband is a engineer the Reliant." She came to his forehead. A tear came down his cheek. "I really am cursed."

Christine lowered the regenerator.

"No," Christine said, clasping one hand on his shoulder. "Being cursed is being without a number."

"I don't have one." Stanley said. "That's just it. I don't have one. I don't have a soulmate."

She took her hand off his shoulder.

"I have a friend of mine who doesn't see his life that way," Christine said. "He may be sad and lonely, but that does not stop him from enjoying life." She could all ready see how depressing it was for the young man. She could imagine the countless nights he most likely spent cry into his pillow. Going through existential crisis. And feeling like there was no hope in his universe. The fact that he enjoyed putting things on fire made it extremely sad.  "He is Montgomery Scott."

Stanley looked up toward the woman.

"You are just pulling my leg." Stanley said, lowering his head with sulking shoulders. "Just like they all do."

"I am not," Christine said. "He doesn't have a number anywhere on his body. I was the one who made sure he entered quarantine for numerous occasions while Doctor McCoy was out being a model on the bridge." He raised his head up with sad dopey eyes. "I cross my heart and swear to the great bird of the galaxy." She finished his forehead with remarkable ease. "There, you are free to go."

"Where is Mister Scott?" Stanley asked.

"Oh. . ." Christine thought back to M'Benga voicing his concern. _What about Scotty_?, Christine thought, _he didn't have what hardship this kid must be facing_. "He left." She let go of the trigger then returned to the cupboard. "I can give you his comn number. . ." She closed the door then turned in the direction of where Stanley sat. "If you wan--" Stanley wasn't there. "I really would love it if he stopped the disappearing act."

Christine jotted down to the padd regarding his personal history. She saw a file of the brown man on screen. There was a photograph there too, but of his previous identity under Carly Stanley. She wondered if Scotty were actually considering of leaving Star Fleet. It was a hard thing to picture. She noticed the gender of Stanley was filed under male. Humanity had come a long way with accepting transgender people and accepting the gender they chose to die with rather than the one they were born with. But being born without a number was a entirely different story. She saw a alarming box that indicated Stanley did have a number. She unchecked the box then saved his medical file. People didn't talk about not having numbers lighter, nor was it joked upon that often. In the rare cases that had been the case, the person expired at a young age or didn't make it beyond birth. Scientists wanted to study why this is the case, why the rare minority does not have what was typical of the norm.

* * *

Uhura was sitting at a table having coffee. She was in her civilian pink attire with a dark jacket on that had long sleeves. She heard beautiful, deep humming coming from the passenger alongside Scotty. She was sitting at a recreated park with civilians here and there, including star fleet officers. The star fleet officers were in uniform. Uhura had been hearing the latest tar fleet uniform in 2270 would  be the most unique one yet. Pants, the skirt was optional, a star fleet regulated jacket, and a underneath shirt that stood for the career track they were in. The idea reminded her of the very photograph Jim had shown her. She padded at the side of her dark hair feeling a little self-conscious regarding how aging would effect her beauty. She wanted to be beautiful forever, but that was a silly dream. She could have accomplished that on a planet filled of androids.

"Scotty, what was that?" Uhura asked.

"It is nothin'." Scotty wrote it off. "Likely in the middle of an ion storm."

Uhura frowned.

"You know shuttles can't go through ion storms that easily." Uhura said.

"We are headin' tae the nearest starbase for the passenger ship _Curion_ ," Scotty said. "We will get there safe and sound."

"That disturbance is concerning." Uhura said.  "That rarely ever happens for shuttle raft."

"Ye don't need tae worry." Scotty said.

"Miss Uhura," Godzik said. "He will be returned unharmed."

"Who is that?" Uhura asked.

"My friend Godzik." Scotty said. "He is a new type of lizard aliens."

"I am a Kardashian." Godzik said.

"People like him are hard to find." Uhura said. "The Kardashian is a extinct and long unused name."

"Remember the time the Kardashian's put up a war protest durin' World War 3?" Scotty asked.

"Just a few hundred years born too late." Uhura said.

"I am nothing like them." Godzik said. "And that protest is highly impossible."

"What about the protest?" Uhura asked.

"Accordin' tae him, that never happened." Scotty said.

"It is in Star Fleet files last time I checked for a school project. They, instead,were instrumental in posing a petition to not go into World War Three. It gained traction but it did not get the attention it needed in the white house. Or it was simply ignored." Godzik said. "The project was meant to humiliate me. . . But they failed. Like they did all the time."

"That isn't in star fleet files."  Uhura said.

"The Kardashians continue to market over their ancestry by making historical dramas." Godzik said. "My parents are fond of these 21st century programs."

"At least it isn't contagious as the wild west era." Uhura said.

"Or the prairie era." Scotty said.

"Those two eras are the most well known and celebrated eras in my household." Godzik said.

Uhura smiled.

"He is a funny man." Uhura said.

There was a loud smack that made a powerful turbulence making Scotty drop the padd to the floor. The screen cracked in the center on the floor. Godzik gripped onto his seat while he was trembling. There was tense in the room. A chilly, uncomfortable silence. Scotty felt the color on his face draining. The klaxons were running. Uhura called out, "Scotty? Scotty!". Uhura had pressed the recording button shortly after the first attack. The first attack that made the lights go out in the passenger pit.  Now she was very concerned. She could see the shoes of the Scotsman.

Our scene transferred to the cockpit. They were dressed in star fleet uniform wearing jackets denoting their command track. They were in their late twenties. The helmsman to the left had a communicator bud in his right ear. "Shuttle Craftywalker to Yorktown, we have been attacked." Came the helmsman's voice. "Oh my--is that a  bird of prey?" There was a crackle in communications. The helmsman and the navigator paused at once staring in horror at what was ahead. There was no word that could be said as they shared a look of horror. This was the stuff of imagination. This was the stuff of insanity. This was the kind of events that could ever happen on _Galaxy Quest: The Next Generation_. Commander Tawny commanding the Protector III from where former commander Peter Taggart left off. Our scene transferred back into the passenger pit.

Scotty looked over toward the window to see a large object right in their way. It was a starship. The passengers were speaking in panicked voices. Scotty saw the starship become clear and clear. His eyes widened. Godzik, sitting next to him, had his jaw drop. Collectively, within the passenger pit there were many hearts beating chests. It was similar to a bird-of-prey but it was massive. Twice the size of an average bird of prey. It reminded him of a starship from Star Wars.  There was a strike making the starship tremble from side to side. The klaxons were beaming bright. There was another strike to the shuttle. She recognized a attack when she saw one. It was an unexpected attack. Uhura got up from the chair then made her way to the site to site transporter. She set in the starbase command coordinates. In a beautiful melody she vanished within a golden light into another phone booth like machine.

Uhura looked down toward the screen. She could see Scotty's face among a group of crowded ceiling. Uhura felt helpless being unable to help the passengers aboard the shuttle. She made her way to the doors of the command center. She stole a glance looking down to see there was the gigantic ship. The ship that had been largely off screen. The were screams as the shuttle tipped over to the side. The shuttle tipped over and shouting commenced. Frightened, panic screams. The seatbelts in the shuttle craft broke sending the inhabitants flying down toward the wall. She saw Scotty crashing against the wall. Terror must have been coursing through his veins. The shuttle craft turned upside down abruptly in the direction of the seats. The mix of aliens and humans falling down toward the padd was a blur. And then the screen turned to black. The last part nearly made her blood run cold. That could be the last time she may see Scotty. _  
_

* * *

 Scotty's eyes started to open. Utter black shroud blocking his vision, initially. Memories came to before what darkness had sent in. He recalled browsing on his padd checking for messages that he forgot to look for. He saw Keensers frantic private message asking him where he was and why he hadn't appeared at the scheduled diner to eat breakfast with Kevin. Uhura asking a question regarding if she will see him again any time soon. M'Benga's message being along the lines of 'Are you okay, Scotty?' in the very least expected words. He avoided writing the words but they were implied. Of course, it was comforting to know he had friends who cared about him. Godzik had been humming to himself. There were twelve passengers in total aboard the shuttle craft. Scotty remembered the many lassies and lads. He felt a throbbing pain on the side of his head. He remembered the red lights coming from the klaxon. Panic traveling through the small shuttle. Scotty was speaking with Uhura when the disturbance first started. Then the rest started to come down.  Oh, Uhura, she must be worried about him.

His vision was blurry at first.

"Godzik?" Scotty called. "Anyone there?"

Scotty heard a groan.

"I am here." Godzik croaked. "We are all here."

Scotty rubbed his eyes then squint them. His surroundings became solid. And his vision became clear. He could see figures laid against the wall. It was partially dark within the room. There were sounds of pain. The horror, well that part could be smelled, and despair. He had seen a sight like this during the away missions. And during shore leave at a few times. This scenery was no different. It was imperative that escape be planned thoroughly with cooperation from everyone everyone in the room. Now there had to be a leader who united them in this very room. Scotty didn't fancy himself as one. Not as a captain. That's why he cheated on the Kobyashi Maru to be sent into engineering. Scotty saw Godzik's figure leaned in the corner of the room with his hand grasping his ankle. His short was partially torn where the abdomen was. The room itself was entirely soaked in fear. One of the victim was being a doctor attending to a woman's wounds.

Navigator Ryan Ryte was covering his left eye with a large fabric from his uniform. It was from his shoulder parts. His left shoulder pad showed the black regulation shirt underneath. Ryte seemed to be aiming his head upward toward the ceiling. The helmsman, Commander Diablo Diego, was calling into his spare communicator, repeating, "Commander Diego to any nearby starships, come in, please, this is Commander Diego!" The lid to the communicator was half way intact with the end being chipped off. Diego had a bruised right eye. There were few women crying into their hands. Scotty placed finger above his lips and felt dry blood. Sometime in the resulting crash, Scotty had broken his nose and eventually it stopped bleeding. He saw luggage's strewn about the room and some of them were in the hands of passengers. He looked over to see his luggage by his side. That Scotty knew because he felt along along the luggage. He felt the cold, hard bottles under the fabric still in tact. Scotty was alive. His bottles were safe. But _where_ was he?

If word had spread regarding the attack then if Scotty was correct then the former second captain of the _USS Enterprise_ would be on the case. That part was certain for the engineer. Jim didn't like being on the sidelines when it came to the matters regarding his family. Jim preferred to be there on the front. He was the kind who put himself under responsibility when someone was lost. He blamed himself when a few of the landing party had died on his watch. He personally sent the families letters. Threw birthdays. Encouraged transsexual crewmates to transition when they confided in him regarding their problem. He was the golden child of Star Fleet not just the poster boy. Several civilizations respected the captain. He had befriended a Klingon captain a lot like him by the name of Koloth. Scotty hadn't sent his resignation in, yet. He was going to miss being under a captain like Jim Kirk. Personally, he was the best captain there ever was. He had grown from a hot mess to a sophisticated, diplomatic well endearing man who stood for the rights of women. The five year mission had shown out various layers to Jim Kirk. Scotty wondered how Jim must be reacting to the sudden disappearance of the passengers and two crewmembers of the shuttle Craftywalker.

Scotty didn't see any scrap metal laying around. Oh no. If they vanished from the shuttle craft . . . That was another Bermuda Triangle similar mystery. The one where all forms of transportation lacked people after passing through the triangle. That reputation somehow extended to space. There were triangle sectors in space where starships vanished and never were found again. They may think there is no chance of finding the small group. On the contrary there was a good chance of getting the hell out of dodge. And to go home to a world of familiarity. Star Fleet might lose hope on finding them. That is if the shuttle craft was not destroyed. Chance of finding them would likely be at thirty-three percent against all odds. Scotty had read these stories during his exile on Delta Vega. Perhaps they are digging into it right at the moment. Prodding through what was reported, even from Uhura herself. It made Scotty shudder to think of how they were questioning the lieutenant regarding their last communication. He remembered seeing her frightened face. And then being tossed like a doll.

"Where are we?"   Scotty asked.

"This never happened. . ." Godzik said.

"We got that down." Ryte said.  "Diego, you can stop, no one can hear you."

"There is still hope for rescue." Diego said. Ryte sighed.

"Look, man," Ryte said. "We have been over this a hundred times. We are not going to be rescued."

"I concur." Godzik said. "Star Fleet would not know how to find a starship that cloaks itself that appears to resemble a bird of prey."

"We don't know what you are, or, if you are the part of these attackers." Ryte said.

"That you can be assured I am not." Godzik said. "I do not associate myself to people who attack without mercy. That is not my way." All of the heads turned toward him. "It is only logical that it is cloaked. If it wasn't, Star Fleet would be attacking and there would be a all out devastating war that would cripple the federation."

"Actually," Diego said. "It will make us stronger."

Scotty searched for his comn only to find it missing.

"I am missin' my comn." Scotty said. "I always have mine on me!"

"They took specific persons comns," Ryte said. "Strangely, not mine and my partner here."

"They are weeding out chances of making a large communicator pulse," Godzik said. "Which is possible. . . But we do not have the sufficient amount."

"What kind of alien being are you?" Diego asked.

"Transporter specialist." Godzik said. "Lieutenant."

"We need medical equipment for these patients," Doctor Conney said, looking away from her victim toward the two officers of the shuttle craft. "Chances of surviving these injuries are slim."

"We know." Diego said. "We are trying to hail a passing starship."

"Which is highly unlikely." Ryte said. "We are doomed."

"Not true." Godzik said.

"We have been abducted, and attacked!" Ryte said. "What else do you need?"

"Death to be certain." Godzik said.

"I don't accept death for my patients." Conney said.

"I am not ready to die, you big ass lizard." Ryte said.

"Thank you, I have been called worse by your kind." Godzik said, taking pride in that comment.

"You are a weird alien." Ryte said.

"Of course I am, it is what makes me a rather good performer for 21st century 1st contact plays." Godzik said.

Ryte's face turned into one of disbelief with a hint of shock.

"I can't believe I just heard a lizard admit to being weird." Ryte said.

"I accept my weird demeanor." Godzik said. "Which is what makes me stronger. Unlike you."

"Why you--" Ryte started but Diego stopped him going after the lizard like man.

"We don't need this demeaning exchange," Diego said. "We have to get out of here."

"Humans are weird, too. Do not forget that your kind is the specific breed to say 'hold my beer while I do this' and do the impossible." Godzik said. "I, however, do not think these attackers are happy campers and are not willing to speak with less advanced civilizations. You are still working on holoprograms remaining solid. Your starships are like flying apple stores."

"It is the latest technology we have, and it is just a coincidence they resemble apple stores." Diego said.

"Coincidence my ass." Ryte said. "You never know someone could steal a starship and give power to a communist power."

"Communism was wiped off the face of the earth and talk like that can lead into another cold war," Diego said. "I don't know about you pal, but I like the way society is at this very moment."

Ryte sighed.

"I am against starships with all the tech in the world not having a defense so they can go out fighting much like the _Enterprise_ did from what I heard." Ryte said. "That would be preferable. We do have space pirates running around space. This fabled section 31. And oh, guess what, Romulans trying to get a foothold into star fleet. Did you hear about the near attempt on the Star Fleet Supreme Court Justice?"

"Communism is for the idiots." Godzik said. "I am sure you are not one of them."

"Let's not talk about that," Diego said. "Star Fleet has plans for such a civilization and plans for the plan and plans for the plan regarding the subject."

"That's the part ye gotta love about Star Fleet," Scotty agreed. "We are crazy prepared."

"Indeed." Diego said.

"I do have to agree." Ryte said. "You never know when one of us is going to crack open."

"That is why we have criminal insane asylums." Diego said. "Stop worrying your ass off."

Scotty felt along his leg checking any injury. Wounds were sometimes sneaky like that. After being unconscious for so long the pain becomes stiff and barely noticeable, only when the victim start moving does the pain set in. Scotty flinched at the thought of having a devastating, lifetime threatening injury that changed everything. His entire way of life, plausibly shattered. He looked down feeling along his leg. He didn't feel any injuries. Scotty moved his leg expecting for the worse. No pain. Scotty sighed, relieved. It meant he was in the clear. He only had a throbbing head ache and a nose that needed time to heal. Which was great on his end of the table. Scotty looked down toward his fingers to see they were bruised and there were some cuts here and there. He noticed a bruise, specifically, around his wrist that was dark. There wasn't any holes in his wrist.

Doctor Conney was a woman in her late forties with short red hair. Conney lacked one sleeve to her medical blue uniform. There was Robyn, age thirty-six, leaned against the wall across from the two shuttle craft officers. Robyn had a make shift medical item that kept their left arm positioned correctly that allowed it to heal and appeared to be some kind of fabric commonly used to make sleeves to business suits. Along side Robyn sat George with some kind of bandage around his left leg. He lacked sleeves to his blue business suit. Wendy,a former security officer who specialized in escapology, was sitting alongside George with her head wrapped in a blue sleeve. Ronchester, age fifty-three, was a Andorian holoprogramologist expert flying back to Earth for a class regarding holoprogramology when this incident occurred.  Ronchester's head was leaned against the wall unconscious. Hilbert, former train operator age sixty-three, was returning to Earth for his retirement but now here he was laid against the wall with his neck wrapped by a fabric. Arnold, thirty-three year old botanist, was returning to the passenger ship Curion to be transported to Star Base 1 to wait for his next assignment.  Hannah, thirty year old black woman,a recently promoted science office turned commander. Farley, a twenty-nine year old, an engineer who is a lieutenant intending to return home for a family reunion.

From what Scotty could see, they each had the same bruise on their wrist.

All twelve were accounted for and alive for the time being.

"How long have we been here?" Scotty asked.

"A few hours, or so." Diego said.

"Forty-eight hours, thirty-three minutes, and eighteen minutes." Ryte said. "I was the conscious one. I was awake the entire time." He sighed earning glances from the lucid members who were awake. "They took my left eye while my body was under a pain numbing drug." He uncovered his eye to show it was closed in the process of healing and it was shut. There were red stains around the eye. "I earned this myself."

"We have to cling onto hope." Diego said. "Hope that we get out of here."

"Are ye sayin' they gave us these injuries?" Scotty asked. "And spared a few of us?"

"We were drugged."  Ryte said. "And if we said something they didn't like. . . Well, that's where we got hurt."

"Most of the people here need medical attention." Conney said. "Do they intend for everyone to die here?"

"Probably." Ryte said. "They were keen on information regarding Star Base defense. And the shuttle craft schedules. The happenings in Star Fleet. Population within various star bases and the schedule of starships coming in. And the weak points within Star Fleet."

"You didn't budge." Diego said.

"Which is why I lost my left eye." Ryte said.

"How come you remember and I don't regarding the interrogation?" Diego said.

"They hated me in general,Commander." Ryte said. "I am the biggest asshole there is." He had a wide grin. "Told you being me is awesome."

Scotty froze.

What did he tell them?

He knew nothing about Star Fleet weak points, schedules, or anything regarding that. He was only a chief engineer. The best in the galaxy. He was aware of some vulnerable parts of Star Fleet engineering, the self destruct code to the original Enterprise, and various other regulations as a star fleet officer. He knew of countless words. Trivial facts that seemed to be relevant in pop questions. Or in a game show being aired at night on Star Fleet network. Scotty was aware of many things in his life that didn't pertain to Star Fleet. Perhaps Scotty told them he was afraid. Which was very him in retrospects. The attackers didn't hurt Scotty because he had nothing that angered them, probably.

"And when they are happy with what they know, they don't hurt us?" Scotty asked.

"Probably," Ryte said. "But the broken nose you had comes from crashing against the seats." Scotty sighed, out of relief. "You were complaining about it when I was awake. You even asked for a nasal repair regenerator to be used from one of our captors. I, however, demanded to see their faces. And insulted them for being cowards." Godzik and Diego looked over toward Ryte with raised eyebrows. "Our captors did not allow me to see them."

Conney looked over.

"So they wiped our memories regarding the interrogation?" Conney said. "That had to be a powerful drug. We don't have that kind, yet. It would be useful if someone went against the prime directive and brought a pre-warpdrive civilian then we had to use it on them on a specific part of the brain which deals with that memory."

"Pretty much." Ryte said.

"How long was I in there?" Scotty asked.

"Twenty-four hours," Ryte said. "Longer than anyone else.  The second one who was in there longer was Godzik. He was in there for fifteen hours."

"Fascinated by my lack of number." Scotty said. "It always goes longer for me."

"Scotty," Godzik said. "You are fortunate not to know what they likely did to you."

"I can still feel the electrical pulses burning through my skin." Ryte said, as he recovered his swollen eye socket with the fabric leaning his head against the wall.

"Unfortunately, he will."  Diego said, closing the communicator with a look of defeat. He put the communicator into his pocket. "With a medical check up when we return to Star Fleet. Everyone will get this check up, even Mister Godzik."

"If you believe so, Commander." Godzik said. "I will cooperate."

"That is the least comforting comment since we got here." Robyn complained. "All I wanted to do was get to Star  Base 1 to reunite with my husband. A transporter technician. We were going to have our two year marriage anniversary today . . ."

"I am so sorry." Conney said, placing a hand on Robyn's shoulder as they started to let loose tears. A part of Conney was regretting not bringing her personal medical tricorder along for the ride. She was stupid not to think of getting herself one. She hadn't seen the need to. Chances of space pirates attacking a shuttle craft were close to zero. It was the healers most required tool besides being over prepared with a bag of hypos and medicine. "Your husband will be waiting for you."

"Maybe were were attacked by space pirates." Robyn said. "Maybe they are determined on scaring star fleet by making one move after another. . ."

"Space pirates attack starships not shuttle crafts." Diego said, as Conney checked for their temperature. "There is nothing  to gain from from passengers."

"It is quite rare to be attacked in open space near a starbase," Ryte added. "But . . . Maybe we are too comfortable these days."

"I don't believe that." Diego said. "I don't believe that we are too comfortable. Our scanners detected no one."

"Because they were cloaked." Robyn said. "Perhaps they are allies of the Romulans."

"I don't think they would, lassie," Scotty said. "Their starships are more threatenin' then the Romulans are. They need somethin' tae gain or be relishin' in some comfortin' knowledge that whoever they are is nae goin' tae backstab them."

"These questions sounded awfully like poking around learning about the target then just asking around for directions." Ryte said. "I do not think they are here for peace."

"So what are they going to do with the injured?" Conney asked. "Are they planning to kill us?"

"Possibly." Ryte said.

"Perhaps they are deciding what to do next." Diego said. "Deciding what is the next move for their operation."

"This is a terrible operation," Conney said. "They could have beamed us in or used a tractor beam instead of attacking the ship with the least powerful phaser settings." Conney sighed. "The shuttle  likely looks like a wreck."

"The cockpit is probably not a pretty sight as well." Diego said.

"Last I recall, the glass didn't break nor did my head hit the glass." Ryte said. "The only thing damaged is probably the seats and the console."

"I am sure they are searchin' for us." Scotty said. "They got tae be."

"Commander." Ryte said. "I never thought this day would happen."

"So did I." Diego said, knowingly. "Star Fleet has a limit on searching for lost passengers." Robyn lunged forward with wide terrified eyes. "A week." Robyn was struggling to breath with one hand clenching their chest. George's face had turned white. "And we might be dead by then."


End file.
